another heart attack could be lurking, waiting to strike. a heart attack caused by a clot, one that could be fatal. but plavix helps save lives. plavix, taken with other heart medicines, goes beyond what other heart medicines do alone, to provide greater protection against heart attack or stroke and even death by helping to keep blood platelets from sticking together and forming clots. ask your doctor about plavix. protection that helps save lives. people with stomach ulcers or other conditions that cause bleeding should not use plavix. taking plavix alone or with some other medicines including aspirin may increase bleeding risk, so tell your doctor when planning surgery.

certain genetic factors and some medicines, such as prilosec, may affect how plavix works. tell your doctor all the medicines you take, including aspirin, especially if you've had a stroke. if fever, unexplained weakness or confusion develops, tell your doctor promptly. these may be signs of ttp, a rare but potentially life-threatening condition, reported sometimes less than 2 weeks after starting plavix. other rare but serious side effects may occur. right now on "andrea mitchell reports," taking the oath. goldman traders face the music with no apologies. >> i deny categorically the s.e.c.'s allegations and will defend myself in court against this false claim. >> but they face the buzz saw from the committee about what they told their clients. >> you're trying to sell a [ bleep ] and it's your top priority. come on -- a lot of it after

that date. should goldman sachs be trying to sell [ bleep ] deal? can you answer that one? >> this as republicans try to explain why they are blocking financial reform. >> i mean, does anyone really believe that the people who make harley davidson's snickers bars are responsible for the financial crisis? does anyone think that? then why would we want to punish them in our effort to hold wall street accountable? these are just the kind of unintended consequences you get from rushing legislation. >> but democrats clearly think they've got to politics on their side. they're going to force republicans to go on the record again today with yet another test vote this afternoon. and before leaving washington for iowa today, the president tackles the deficit since everything is on the table. >> we're not playing that game. i'm not going to say what's in. i'm not going to say what's out.

i want this commission to be free to do its work. >> his new deficit panel's co-chairman with us this hour. plus, border wars. why mexico is telling its citizens to avoid arizona. homeland security secretary janet napolitano will be right here. good day, i'm andrea mitchell. the big story on capitol hill, goldman sachs. let's go to kelly o'donnell on the hill. cnbc senior analyst and ron brownstein. kelly, first to you. you've got the action on the hill. how would you score today's hearing in terms of getting to the substance of this and political theatre? i guess right now, it's political theatre. >> tremendous political theatre and both sides came ready to play. members of this panel, is senate team, has really done homework. there is clear evidence that

understand the kind of complex securities they're talking about. their staff has done tremendous research to help prepare them, so it is in some ways, the fairer fight. they understand what their talking about. this first panel from goldman sachs also appears to be prepared to stall and to delay and that's certainly the impression that senators gave because they repeatedly asked for documents to be reviewed and what's the page number and seemed quite hesitant to answer questions. some of that of course is in an attempt to be specific and some gives the appearance of not wanting to be fully cooperative. there's real tension here. in one of the most simplest exchanges, the bleep was something carl levin was referencing in an e-mail it wasn't his use of the word. he was repeating an e-mail.

that was quite a saucy stretch for a hearing. this has been colorful and interesting. >> it reminds me of the classic moment in "casablanca." >> i don't think anybody was ever in the room but paulson, were there, mr. tourre, really? let's be honest here. that was a paulson deal and you put in there as some kind of fig leaf so you could do what you're doing now. why didn't you use aca on the other deals? you know what the interesting thing is on timber wolf? you know who gray wolf is, your alum alumni. they're all goldman sachs people. if gambling, pure and simple, raw gambling. you are the bookie, you are the

house. you have less oversight and regulation as you all began this wild, wild west, you had less oversight than a pit boss in las vegas. >> ron, also, david brooks in today's "new york times," an op-ed where he says -- >> i won't agree on that. with respect to senator mccaskill, i think the interesting portion as -- i am shocked to find out that gambling is going on here. with respect to congress, when senator mccaskill says that they

are, goldman and others are the least regulated entities around, even less than pit bosses at casinos, remember who took winnings, and that was washington. when they were asking earlier, senator coburn said, do you know what a stated loan is, a lair loan or ninja loan, no income, no job. it was the office of the comptroller who told state banking regulators to relax lending standards so this country could meet the political objective of maximum home ownership, so that was a political creation, not one created on wall street. >> this of course also feeds the political heat for financial reform, but the republicans, ron brownste brownstein, seem perfectly willing to go to the mat and time and time again, you wrote

cent recently -- >> right. >> are they on the wrong side? >> this may be the bridge too far in the effort which is why many think in the end, there will be a deal. what ron said is correct. both parties have been insufficient in the vigilance with which they have pursued oversight with wall street, but when you get to this point, is that a rationale for not toughing legislation at this point. republicans had tremendous success over the last 15, 16 months invasively arguing that big government was a larger impediment to recovery, but this is an area where obama and the democrats are in a stronger position because wall street is

distrusted by more americans at this point than the federal government, so the white house council has been consistent for weeks. they have pushed the democrats to have a tough line. not to make a lot of concessions. they want to force republicans to block this publicly. >> and kelly, is there any sign they have reached an agreement and that actually the democrats will win this vote today or just another attempt to embarrass the republicans? >> at the moment, it seems another attempt to embarrass and maybe bring more pressure, but i talked to senior republicans in leadership who say there will be a bill. part of what their resistance, about the mechanics of the senate. if the bill comes to the floor and debate begins, it becomes harder fer republicans. they're trying to make changes in advance and it's a lot of the specifics of how things are worded, what the requirements would be in this case or that. it's the deep detail they're

working on, but republican after republican tells me they'll get something. they're just trying to strat jazz to get the most. they are resistant and able to make that point because harry reid has the power to call for the vote and he'll do that again and again. >> and ron insana, what about the market reaction? >> absolutely, you're right, what happened today was a standard & poor's, one of the ratings agencies whose skill in determining the credit quality has been called into question today, downgraded greece's sovereign debt to junk status and downgraded the debt of portugal as well. this is spreading fears that the

debt may spread to other weak countries, so as a consequence, stocks have sold off. money's going into u.s. bonds despite the size of our deficit and going into the u.s. dollar as a hedge against what many perceive as a weak european fiscal climate. >> three of the very best, thank you very much for being with us to sort through this. up next, the co-chairs of president obama's commission. alan simpson and former white house chief of staff. the bipartisan commission which sat down for the first time today. and then, janet napolitano on arizona's controversial new law against illegal immigration. send me your thoughts. you can find me on twitter at mitchell reports. not that long ago, many families were priced out of an overheated housing market. but the times have changed. get the facts at remax.com. today, the dream of owning a home seems more attainable than ever. nobody sells more real estate than re/max.

visit remax.com today. take things as they come? ♪ i've got an idea. or improvise? ♪ maxwell house custom-roasts each bean... for a full-flavored cup of coffee. so you can be good to the last drop. i think we need more cups, mom.

our friends in the media will ask me and others once a week or once a day about what we're willing to rule out or rule in when it comes to the recommendations of the commission. that's an old washington game. we're not playing that game. i'm not going to say what's in. i'm not going to say what's out. i want this commission to be free to do its work. >> president obama ordered his bipartisan commission on fiscal responsibility to take nothing off the table as they approach tackling the nation's mounting debt. but as they sat down for their first meeting, they're at alan simpson's record. this e-mail blasts the former senator's voting record without pointing out he was voting for ronald reagan's tax increases. i sat down with the co-chairs

yesterday and asked how they would deal with tax from both sides of the aisle -- >> we don't have illusions. we have wives and children and grandchildren. we're going to give it a try. i've never heard any more cackling from the left and right than the seniors. it's an impossible thing we're doing, but i'm one of those nieve people, immigration, iraq study group. i don't know where we're going, but i know everything is on the table. someone said, you mean to tell me the new health care bill is on the table and we said, yeah. everything. >> more cuts than we're actually -- let me ask you, mr. bowles, you would cut medicare

more deeply than contemplated? >> if we don't reform health care and take it much further, we'll never get the balance. health care is the biggest cost item in the future. >> senator simpson said you've got loving familying you can return to, but i read when you went home and talked to your mother about this, she said, just don't touch my medicare. is that true? >> that's true. my point is, everybody you talk to in the grocery store gets it. they say, you've got to get this fiscal mess straightened out and then they'll say, but don't touch my medicare. we have to touch social security. the military and we have to take a strong look at revenue. >> the military, how did the democratic president trying to prove as a top commander and chief cut the military? >> you can sit around here in

this city of skepticism and just do nothing except whine and moan. grover norquist, are you guys stalking horses for new taxes. >> the antitax increase activist -- >> he's active with everything. people should write and ask for his books because he's spending taxpayer money. somebody be sure he's spending those taxpayer bucks properly. >> let's talk about the tea party. the tea party has aroused a lot of interest in fiscal sob ryety and doing something about the deficit. are these tea party activists helping you? >> i think anybody looking at serious fiscal reform is going to help us. when i came back here in 1997 and president clinton announced

he was bringing me back to balance the budget, nobody believed it. yet, we worked and met over and over again. we built up some real trust between the two sides and got it done. i think we can get it done again, but it's going to take real trust and a real willingness. we're not going to get there by talking about just foreign aid. >> even when the president tried to cut nasa, had to roll back that. >> we expect that on everything we do. the difference on when erskine was here and i was here, the atmosphere was toxic and ugly. tougher. terribly tougher. that's our challenge and if we can establish trust and a little shred of patriotism, if we can

agree on where we are, that's our goal, and then we can bleed. >> what about a value added tax? is that an option to look at? >> i don't think anybody's going to look at the value-added tax without taking into account the income tax. there are a lot of good arguments as opposed to taxing a wages or savings. we've got to put things on the table and then we've got to find some common ground that we can bring this budget back into balance. we're going to have trillion dollar deficits as far as is eye can see if we don't and this country's going to become a second rate power just by not taking the tough stance. >> but you two bring great experience to the task, yet, it is an advisory commission. the commission with heath was

rejected. >> it was a very sad thing. to have 53 people vote for it and seven of the cosponsors voted against it just to stick one in the president's ear, i guess. i don't know any other reason. but then the president said, you're going to have to give executive order to do something. the speaker wanted to do something. harry reid said, i want to give you some people. we have good people and erskine and i have visited with them personally and they say what's going on is unsustainable. >> senator, finally, do you have any explanation as to why the senate is so stalemate and angry and partisan in contrast to the senate you served? >> i think a lot of the venom came from the house.

the house was under one party and the venom, they said, i've got to get out of this atmosphere, so they came to the senate and brought that terrible partisanship with them. even the conquerers got tired after the slaves and just crawled out to the slave ship and came to the senate and started beating everybody up over there. >> alan simpson, erskine bowles good luck. a little straight talk. up next, the top two democratic power houses in washington jock kiing for the same job and president bush's upcoming memoir is creating buzz with the late night crowd. >> top ten thoughts, number ten what's the memoir. number nine, is 36 pages enough.

number 36, how cool is it that i was president. come on, up high. number two, do you spell nuclear with two os or ew. and shouldn't cheney be the one writing this. low in fat and cholesterol, heart healthy levels of sodium, and taste you'll love. girl: this is good for my heart? chef: you noticed. [cheering] announcer: campbell's healthy request. i own a small law firm and i'm a much better lawyer than i am an accountant. so, when i wasn't getting paid as quickly as i would like, i did what came naturally. i threatened to sue. turns out, that's not the best way to keep clients. so i went looking for answers online at openforum.com it's a place where i can talk with other small business owners like thomas and connie and learn about tools like acceptpay. it's a new way to bill online that can help me get paid much faster, without the need for any legal intimidation,

which gives me a warm fuzzy feeling... sort of like these super comfortable socks made from the soft, supple wool of alpacas. looking good. thank you. owners are asking questions. owners are getting answers. and american express open is building the tools they need. tools like acceptpay, which lets owners take their accounts receivable online. acceptpay. invoice digitally. get paid faster. only from american express open. aren't absorbed properly unless taken with food. he recommended citracal. it's different -- it's calcium citrate, so it can be absorbed with or without food. also available in small, easy-to-swallow petites. citracal.

two leading democratic senators are said to be vying for the same job to become majority leader if harry reid loses his election bid in nevada. that's our story today from politico and executive editor, jim, tell us the back story here. what's really going on? >> it's actually an intriguing story. both chuck schumer and dick durbin would love to be leader if reid were to lose in november. the polls show that harry reid

could lose. you have this jockeying going on to sort of position yourself to be the leader if reid loses. one of the things you do is raise money for your colleagues to show you're a party player and one of those colleagues happens to be reid. they're doing big fund-raisers to raise as much money for reid. i don't think either of them are wishing ill will for reid, but they are positioning themselves so that if he lost, they could step in and be leader. >> it's a kind of delicate dance. there's been no funeral yet, the body is still warm, but they want to jockey for position and the other interesting piece of this, they're roommates. they love together on the hill when they're not in their hometown. how does that go down? >> the thing about the senate, it really is this small, intimate club. most of these members are close friends and the thing is, they have enormous ambition. that's why they're not senate to

begin with. you have two people here, they've done it differently, but both have positioned themselves to be a real force and real leader in the party. schumer's really emphasized bringing in a new breed of democrat in the party and his fund raising. dick durbin's a little more of an operator behind the scenes. has good relationships with his colleagues and both have attributes that are appealing. >> and jim, just finally, does durbin have at least an inside track because of his closeness with the white house and president obama or is it really the kind of secret poll among democrats and it really is a popularity contest? >> it really is a popularity contest. the question for schumer, he raises a lot of money, but his

ambition is so obvious that some find it off-putting. the truth is, and you've covered a lot of these leadership races, you never really know until the votes are cast behind closed doors because there are so many trade-offs and calculations that individual senators are making. >> that's why we love it so much. thank you so much. chris dodd lost by one vote. and coming up, is the senate any closer to a deal on wall street reform? just hours from now, another test vote on whether to permit debate. plus, homeland security secretary, janet napolitano, joining us right here with her reaction to arizona's crack down on illegal immigrants. msnbc is now on sirius xm satellite radio. ♪ [ pop ] [ man ] ♪ just another perfect day

♪ i think i'll walk this way with the trees ♪ ♪ i do sing [ man announcing ] the hybrid for everyone is here. the insight-- designed and priced for us all.

here are the headlines we're following now. some high school students across new jersey are walking out of class today to protest budget cuts. these pictures just moments ago in newark. ford motor company has rebounded a year after almost collapsing into bankruptcy. the company beat wall street's expectations with the $2.1 billion profit. and the first lady of california will be welcoming patients to a massive, free clinic in downtown l.a. dentists, doctors and other health professionals will be volunteering until may 3rd. goldman sachs executives with frustrated senators who did not like their answers. >> at the time, things happened in the market and were accepted in the market that in hindsight, look very different than they

did at the time in the market. >> i got two things i'm getting out of these hearings. number one, nobody's done anything wrong, this is a natural disaster like a hurricane. the second thing is that these things were just something that happened. >> with me now, democratic strategist karen finney and republican strategist, john feehery. let's talk about the theatre going on up there. a lot of sound and fury that will signify nothing or are we at a turning point where wall street h not be able to operate as it has in the past? >> the timing is not helpful to the gop's efforts with regard to financial regulatory reform. as you've seen, the white house and democrats have put them on defense with this wall street versus main street argument. then to have goldman, which really in some ways became a symbol of what was going on on wall street, up there testifying today, the case that the s.e.c.

is bringing against them is very serious. there are serious charges in there. it plays into this narrative that there is a need for change on wall street and i think it makes it a lot harder to make any other kind of counterargument. >> john feehery, one wonders why republicans are holding firm to this position. they could fikt for amendments on the floor, but by stopping debate, aren't they getting killed politically? >> i don't think so. the match nations of what's going on is different than in this congressional version where goldman's getting skewered by congressman. i get a kick out of it, two titans going at it. it's absolutely a beautiful thing to behold. i don't think it's really going to help either institution. i think there's going to be a deal at the end of the day. i think those negotiations are

happening. it's important for republicans to show that they can stay together on that initial vote so that they can get a better deal and i think a lot of these senators are negotiating on behalf of their community bankers. that's the real issue behind the scenes. >> when we talk about the community bankers, we are talking about people a lot closer to main street than wall street. so, karen, the republicans actually have a lot of hometown interests here. >> they do, but i think the problem the republicans have had fairly consistently is a fundamental narrative about the economy and a vision for the economy and what they want to do. it's very easy to cast the wall street versus main street when democrats are trying to move forward with reform and republicans are saying no, but not giving a counteridea. so, again, i think it puts them in an awkward position.

if even you think they have some good points to be made. that being said, i want to take one moment on something john said. there's plenty of blame to go around on what happened. i think congress is trying to make sure that the anger stays with the industry. >> well, let me just repeat a little bit of what david brooks wrote in today's "new york times." he said -- sorry about typos and misreadings. john feehery, he has a point.

>> you know, he has a point. no question. i read david brooks every time a get a chance and sometimes, i kind of scratch my head. i think his basic point is that neither wall street nor the congress are well trusted and if you want to try to legislation away bubbles, good luck, because we have a long history of bubbles. what you can try is limit some of the risk of those bubbles and which we didn't do and we had done when we did glass-steagall in the 1930s. at some point in time, you've got to limit taxpayers' risk so they aren't bailing out these huge banks. that is the big problem we have today. >> but karen, some would argue it's the connectivity of the banks. size, scale and connections that create the systemic risks. >> sure. i think to most americans, what they see -- all of that is true. they see a system in which

people feel like nobody cares about us. nobody cares about what's happening on main street, our homes, our communities and neighborhoods. they see the big bank bailouts. they feel frustrated by that. we're talking about millions and billions of dollars and yet, everybody wants america to do well, but they're not feeling like those policies are helping them. even though the economy seems to be in better shape. >> i agree with you 100%. i think that people see a kind of washington-wall street industrial complex where they're scratching each other's backs, but not taking care of everybody else. i think we ought to be careful about how we manage that. >> thank you both very much. up next, janet napolitano joining us live right here to talk about her deep concerns over the crackdown on illegal immigration in arizona.

everything is better with swanson broth in it. made with garden vegetables and sun-drenched herbs. the secret is swanson, 100% natural chicken broth.

[ speaking native language ] [ moans ] [ speaking native language ] ♪ [ speaking native language ] [ male announcer ] doctors have been saying it forever. let's take a look. [ male announcer ] but they've never actually been able to do it like this. let's take a look. [ male announcer ] v-scan from ge healthcare. a pocket sized imaging device that will help change the way doctors see patients. that's better health for more people. ♪ you can label as "different." like janice. uh-huh. yeah. fashion deficient. and tom... copy incapable. it's open kimono time. looking good, dan. oh, we want to make sure all our ducks in a row. yeah. volume control syndrome. but we focus on the talent and skill that each person... brings to the team. i mean, no one's really concerned about labels. not even mine. labels get in the way. disabilities rarely do. visit thinkbeyondthelabel.com to evolve your work force.

it was tough news to hear. everything changed. mom. ♪ i didn't know what to do. that's when i asked my doctor about exelon patch. he said it releases medicine continuously for 24 hours. he said it could help with her cognition, which includes things like memory, reasoning, communicating and understanding. [ female announcer ] the most common side effects of exelon patch are nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. the likelihood and severity of these side effects may increase as the dose increases. patients may experience loss of appetite or weight. patients who weigh less than 110 pounds may experience more side effects. people at risk for stomach ulcers or who take certain other medicine should talk to their doctor because serious stomach problems, such as bleeding, may worsen. [ woman ] mom's diagnosis was hard to hear, but there's something i can do. [ female announcer ] visit exelonpatch.com for free caregiving resources.

mexico has issued a travel alert today warning citizens about the risk of travel tog arizona because of the new immigration law. but defenders of the law, including senator john mccain, say that arizona had to step in because the federal government failed to secure the borders. janet napolitano has been dealing with the issue for the better part of two decades. welcome, madame secretary. this is following you everywhere you go, most cently on the hill today. lindsey graham, major player pulled back from climate change this week saying that immigration reform should not be brought up. he said at the hearing that the administration would crash and burn if you guys take on immigration reform. and your position on that, you countered him. >> well, the president believe that is the congress needs to

take up immigration reform and he looks to forging a bipartisan consensus with which to do it. that's the big hole here. >> political dynamite. >> it is and it isn't. i've dealt with immigration politics a long time and the plain fact of the matter is that the system needs reform. we need updated enforcement tools. we need to deal realistically with those already in the country and we need to have some way to deal with the worker issues that are involved. congress knows that. actually major parts of a bill have been drafted. the lodgistics worked through, but now, it's a matter of political will. >> what is your position on the record about the arizona bill? you know as a governor and a prosecutor, all the pressures being brought to bear. but now, your successor has

signed this bill. >> right and the department of justice is looking at the potential legal challenge and at what the kinds of challenges could be. but let me say what i said when the bill was signed that i thought it was unfornt and misguided. that i think it will not be value-added to law enforcement. indeed it will detract from some of the efforts already underway to really focus on the most serious offenders. the most serious criminals. the ones that not only have crossed the border illegally, but are committing other crimes. and so, you know, it's unfortunate the bill was enacted. >> do you see it as a violation of civil rights? not a technical or legal question, but your gut check on this. >> you know, i think that it is a very difficult bill to enforce in a racially neutral way. >> this is what john mccain, of

course facing a tough re-election challenge had to say about it. >> the people in southern arizona have had their rights violated by the unending and constant flow of drug smugglers and human traffickers across their property. if you don't like the bill the legislation that was passed and the governor signed in arizona, then carry out the federal responsibleties which are to secure the border. you probably wouldn't have had this problem. >> does he have a point? >> well, not really, in a way. let me just say, look, there is a lot of -- there are still a lot of illegal immigration across particularly the arizona border, but it is way down from where it has been ever in my recollection and not only that, there are many law enforcement resources that have been deployed to arizona and the

southwest border than ever and every marker that the congress has set for enforcement at the southwest border has been met or exceeded. so, part of it is the continuing need to enforce that, to sustain that. we know that. i know that, as someone who's been a prosecutor down there. those efforts will continue, but they can't alone the fight and at some point, the congress is going to need to take up reform. >> mexico's president said this could hurt u.s.-mexican relations. >> obviously, they've sent out a travel advisory and again, you know, arizona is a state i've been governor there. has had a traditionally warm relationship with mexico, a tremendous amount of commerce goes on there. mexico's arizona's number one trading partner. that's lots of jobs. mexico is the number one trader with 22 separate states.

that's a lot of jobs. >> you can't blame them given -- he's got to protect his citizens and as far as he can read the law, they can be arrested for being or stopped and searched for being mexican. for having a skin color that makes them appear to be more dark-skinned. >> and you know, i think we all look forward to president calderon's visit here in washington next month. i'm sure this will be some of the discussion with the president, but again, i think that the number one thing that needs to happen is to forge a bipartisan consensus that involves enforcement and temporary worker issues and deals with those already in the country. makes them pay a fine or another sanction for breaking the law, learn english. we get their biometrics, which is a security issue for us, and then move forward. >> you really think this white

house can take on issue and push through legislation? it may well have derailed any chance for climate change legislation, which was ready to go on monday. >> there are always these linkages that happen in washington, d.c. that frankly, the plain fact of the matter is that washington, d.c., we need to multitask. these are all major priorities for the country and will move the country ahead and stand us in good stead for this new century. >> speaking of the environment, in top of all your other jobs, you're in charge of the coast guard and you're watching closely, the efforts to contain the oil spill. what can you tell us of the threat as it approaches land fall and the wetlands, the vulnerable areas in the louisiana coast. >> from the very beginning, plans have been enacted on a worst case scenario, so everyone has leaned forward so that skimmers are there to keep the

oil off shore and to protect louisiana, alabama, mississippi or florida where ever and if it hits land. it is several days out. and i can also say that the department of interior and the coast guard will be today, executing an agreement on how they will joint lly manage the investigation. >> had any private sessions with the president lately? >> no. >> we know you're on the list. were on the list for the supreme court. he interviewed you last time. anything to share? >> not at all. i've been a little preoccupied between making sure the border is safe and secure, working those issues and the oil spill. we've had a pretty full plate lately. >> you've been pretty busy, but you have real life experience. experience as a prosecutor. you've been considered before for the court.

you've -- seems to me you check off every one of the boxes. >> flatter to be talked about, but that's as far as it goes as far as i'm concerned. >> just for the record for those who have been speculating about the religious on the balance on the court, right now it all being people who are jewish or catholic, they've said that the president might want to replace justice stevens with a protestant and you are -- >> i'm a methodist, actually. so, any way. be that as it may. >> thank you very much. thanks for joining us today. and what political story will be making headlines in the next 24 hours? that's next. and be sure to follow the show online and on twitter at mitchell reports. gecko: uh, you wanted to see me sir? boss: come on in, i had some other things you can tell people about geico - great claims service and a 97% customer satisfaction rate. show people really trust us.

gecko: yeah right, that makes sense. boss: trust is key when talking about geico. you gotta feel it. why don't you and i practice that with a little exercise where i fall backwards and you catch me. gecko: uh no sir, honestly... uh...i don't think...uh... boss: no, no. we can do this. gecko: oh dear. vo: geico. fifteen minutes could save you 15% or more on car insurance. [ male announcer ] competition... it pushes us to work harder. to be better. to win. but sometimes even rivals realize they share a common goal. america's beverage companies have removed full-calorie soft drinks from schools, reducing beverage calories by 88%. together with schools, we're helping kids make more balanced choices every day.

♪ ♪ three decadent flavors. 60 calories. it's me o'clock. time for jell-o.

what political story will be making headlines in the next 24

hours? chris cilizza, "washington post" national political reporter and author of "the fix" joins us now. the president is on the road. he has an interesting itinerary. >> two days in the midwest, andrea, even as goldman sachs dominates news in washington. you have the president in iowa today. very important. iowa, remember, was the place that began barack obama's political career. he won the iowa caucuses. everything came after that. remember, once he had secured the nomination, the democratic nomination, his first trip, iowa. this holds a very special place in his heart. he's going back there again to sell financial regulatory reform, to sell the economy moving forward. this is the start of barack obama campaigning very aggressively, at least we expect very aggressively, for 2010 candidates, democrats running for governor, senate and house. >> and, of course, he's going to a couple of places in iowa where the unemployment rate has just as every place else in the country, has really bounced up since he was back there in 2008. but then he goes on to illinois.

and illinois, of course, has a lot of political pitfalls for him right now. >> you know, his home state, andrea, you would think it would be a wonderful homecoming and he would look forward to going back to illinois. yes, very problematic. the state treasurer, he's the democratic nominee for senate and a basketball playing friend of the president. the family bank that he once worked as a senior loan officer for failed last friday. there's already chatter should he stay in the race, can he keep that seat. remember, that's barack obama's seat, barack obama left. roland burris was appointed by rod blagojevich. roland burris is not running again. that's an open seat. a very important factor in that, how strong of support or lack thereof does he get from the white house. the optics of that event tomorrow are going to be fascinating. what the president said or doesn't say about him. >> he's been absolute lly silen

on this so far. >> essentially the white house said we support all democrats running for the senate across the country. which is well and good. remember back to last year, the white house got very involved in trying to recruit state attorney general lisa madigan, who's widely seen as the most popular democratic, into that race. she said no. since then it's really been all quiet on the western front, as it relates to that race. >> all right. chris cilizza, thanks for seeing us at headquarters. tamron hall takes over now as goldman sachs ceo lloyd blankfein gets ready to testify on capitol hill. democratic senator, claire mccaskill. follow the show online and on twitter at mitchell reports. from general motors. a lot of americans didn't agree with giving gm a second chance. quite frankly, i can respect that.

we want to make this a company all americans can be proud of again. that's why i'm here to announce we have repaid our government loan, in full, with interest, five years ahead of the original schedule. but there's still more to do. our goal is to exceed every expectation you've set for us. we're putting people back to work, designing, building, and selling the best cars and trucks in the world. with our 100,000-mile, 5-year powertrain warranty to guarantee the quality. and the unmatched life-saving technology of onstar to help keep you safe. from new energy solutions. to the designs of tomorrow. we invite you to take a look at the new gm. tdd# 1-800-345-2550 to help with my investments. tdd# 1-800-345-2550 if i could change one thing...

tdd# 1-800-345-2550 we'd all get a ton of great advice tdd# 1-800-345-2550 just for being a client. tdd# 1-800-345-2550 i mean, shouldn't i be able to talk about my money tdd# 1-800-345-2550 without it costing me a fortune? tdd# 1-800-345-2550 if i had my way, tdd# 1-800-345-2550 investment firms would be falling all over themselves tdd# 1-800-345-2550 to help me with my investments. tdd# 1-800-345-2550 (announcer) at charles schwab, investors rule. tdd# 1-800-345-2550 are you ready to rule?